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There’s a new HDMI specification in town
HDMI 2.2 is official. That’s right, if you’ve been closely following the evolution of the HDMI specification you’ll know it’s been a while since HDMI 2.1 made its debut – 2017 to be precise. And at CES 2025 we have finally been given more information on the specs of its successor.
So, what can you expect? Faster 96Gbps bandwidth is on the list together with Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), which promises to improve audio and video synchronisation, especially when using an AVR or soundbar. It also priomises support for higher resolutions and refresh rates (although no specifics were shared), alongside more immersive applications such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.
Read the full story: HDMI 2.2 has been revealed – and it could be a big upgrade for next-generation OLED TVs and projectors
TCL wants to fix a recurring problem we have with Mini LED TVs
We had a mixed relationship with flagship Mini LED TVs last year, with most proving good, but not perfect. Which is why at CES 2025 we were pleased to see TCL make steps to fix one big recurring issue we have with Mini LED TVs with its latest QM6K television.
As well as the usual brightness improvements, the TV is set to launch with new Micro OD technology. We haven’t had a hands on with the TV yet, but the tech is interesting as it aims to reduce blooming, or the halo effect, as it’s sometimes called.
This is a distracting screen phenomenon where bright objects on a dark background suffer from an unintended glow effect. The tech works to reduce it by reducing the optical distance between the backlight and diffuser plate – a move that according to TCL improves uniformity by 86 per cent, resulting in a 67 per cent reduction in blooming artefacts.
While those numbers are oddly specific if the tech works this could help fix one of our biggest issues with Mini LED sets.
Read the full story: TCL announces first ‘Precise Dimming Series’ QD-Mini LED TV at CES
Samsung’s latest flagship QD-OLED looks swish
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The LG C5 is one of many new TVs we’ve looked at in the past 24 hours. Our staff writer, Lewis Empson also elbowed his way into Samsung’s showroom to have an opening look and demo of the Korean firm’s latest S95F flagship QD-OLED.
The TV is the follow-up to the Samsung S95D, which earned a five-star rating from our reviewers last year, and a direct rival to the LG G5, which also launched at CES 2025. The TV has a wealth of upgrades on last year’s model, but the headline upgrade is its new QD-OLED panel. Samsung hasn’t confirmed if the panel is a true new generation of the tech or modest refinement, but it does quote it as being 30 per cent brighter than its predecessor. Considering how bright we found the S95D could run, that’s a pretty bold claim.
Viewing conditions at the demo were far from ideal, so we’re holding off any firm judgements for now, but from what we saw, it could be a big upgrade and we’re very keen to get it into our test rooms for the full review treatment.
Read our full Samsung S95F hands-on preview.
Onkyo returns to hi-fi with the launch of Icon Series electronics at CES 2025
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Desktop speakers are all well and good, but the big Onkyo news is that the Japanese brand has returned to the world of hi-fi. Hooray! Onyko has also used CES 2025 to launch its new Icon Series of hi-fi separates, consisting of the P-80 network preamplifier, the M-80 power amplifier and the A-50 streaming amplifier. Happy days.
Onkyo filed for bankruptcy back in 2022, so to see them make a triumphant return to the hi-fi realm is extremely gratifying for long-term fans and followers. Now owned by the Premium Audio Company, Onkyo envisions that the Icon Series will continue the company’s legacy of “delivering unparalleled audio experiences for audiophiles” as part of the brand’s “bold new vision for the future”.
Check out our news story for the full-fat details, but we can tell you in our potted version here that all of the new amps are equipped with Onyko’s DIODRC tech which looks to reduce higher frequency noise and improve audio signal reproduction for a more authentic sound signature. The trio all feature the same 5mm front panel, and you even get lovely glowing VU meters under glass on the M-80 power amp. Ah, glowing VU meters…
All three newbies will be available in silver or black finishes, but they won’t be arriving properly until Q4 of 2025. The Icon P-80 and Icon M-80 will cost $1999 each, while the Icon A-50 will cost $1499, and we’ll let you know when we get further pricing for other regions. For now, though, we’re excited to see if our wait for the return of Onkyo has been worth it. Fingers crossed!
Onkyo announces its new Creator Series of affordable powered desktop speakers
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Onkyo is just one of many brands using CES 2025 as a chance to show off some juicy new tech to the general masses. The Japanese company unveiled its budget Creator Series of desktop powered speakers at the Las Vegas expo, aimed at those users who crave quality and convenience but don’t want to fork out a huge wad of cash in the process. Enter the GX10DB and GX30ARC.
Both sets of speakers pack Class D amplification, with the GX10DB offering 34W of total power against the 50W of the GX30ARC. The GX10DB pairs a 7.6cm woofer with a 2cm tweeter, while the more powerful GX30ARC uses the same tweeter but boasts a larger 10cm woofer instead. That’s to be expected, as the latter speaker is the more costly option at $299, a good $100 more than the $199 asking price of the GX10DB.
If you’re worried about mounts and stands, don’t be. Both new pairs come fitted with a speaker stand/base angled up at ten degrees to take into account your sitting position. You even get a handy remote control as standard and a monochromatic choice of black or white finishes – those icy white examples in the press pics look pretty sharp to us.
We had an early listen to Samsung’s latest flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar package
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Samsung’s 2024 flagship soundbar package, the Samsung HW-Q990D was one of the best surround sound systems to launch last year. Which is why it earned high praise and a five-star rating from our testers and What Hi-Fi? Award.
Which is why we have high hopes for its follow up, Samsung HW-Q990F system which launched this week at CES 2025.
While the system’s design hasn’t had a big refresh Samsung’s loaded a number of key upgrades into the Samsung HW-Q990F – chief of which is the new wireless subwoofer, which has been reduced in size.
Thankfully, having fought past the crowds to have an early listen our team on the ground at the show came away with positive impressions of the unit, reporting:
“It’s too early to say, but the Samsung HW-Q990F is already showing signs of being a promising sequel to an Award-winning Dolby Atmos soundbar package.”
Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F hands-on preview.
JBL’s Tour One M3 flagship wireless headphones are stuffed full of fancy features
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It’s Harry here, jumping in to update the live blog as CES 2025 continues to drop products and make earth-shattering announcements at an alarming pace. My fingers can only type so fast…
Some of us (me, mainly) were quietly hoping for the long-awaited debut of the JBL Flip 7 or even the Charge 6 to knock the socks off Bluetooth speaker fans everywhere, but a new pair of wireless over-ears isn’t to be sniffed at. The JBL Tour One M3 flagship cans are absolutely stuffed with features and fancy tricks, supporting Bluetooth 5.3 and 24-bit/96kHz high-res audio and packing in 40mm mica cone drivers. Oh, and you get a whopping 70 hours of battery life and a remarkable five hours of juice from a five-minute charge. Incredible stuff.
Perhaps the biggest draw of the new flagship cans is their Smart Tx wireless audio transmitter. Doing the same job as the transmitter found in some of JBL’s much-talked-about smart charging cases (see the Tour Pro 3 buds, for example), the Smart Tx enables wireless streaming from a source which doesn’t have Bluetooth, such as an in-flight entertainment system or an old telly. Pretty clever, right?
LG’s new OLED TVs came with a few big surprises
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CES 2025 kicked off with a big launch from LG, which unveiled its G5, C5, B5 and M5 OLED TVs.
At a technical level the G5 and M5 are in most ways the most interesting. The G5 because it replaces the award winning, brightness boosting Micro Lens Array (MLA) screen tech we liked so much on last year’s LG G4 with new ‘Brightness Booster Max’. It’s also the first G-series to be offered with a 48-inch option – a fact that delighted our editor. The M5 is interesting because it’s a new completely wireless OLED from LG that shares most of the core DNA as the G5.
But it was the LG C5 that our intrepid staff writer, Lewis Empson, managed to get an in person demo of at the show. And while it may not a appear to be a huge upgrade on last year’s model based off its specifications, he came away with a positive impression of the set reporting:
“We’re looking forward to getting the C5 into our TV testing space to ascertain exactly how much of an upgrade it is over the C4. Signs are pointing in the right direction, with its brighter panel and excellent feature set, but we’re also concerned that the C5 is an incremental upgrade, much like how the C3 was to the C2.”
Read his full LG C5 hands-on preview here.
